Abstract: This essay seeks to understand how retail surveillance in general, and mystery shopping in particular, works to influence performances of consumerism. Using the work of ritual, performance and surveillance scholars, this essay argues that this surveillance works to create performances of predictability that ensure maximum consumption. This predictability works to discipline consumers
and employees in the consumption process. Finally, this essay explores how this retail surveillance can be responded to in ways that work to allow for creative consumer performances within a space that works to stifle that complexity
